


Salty Sweet

by wordsliketeeth



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 07:44:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17803904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsliketeeth/pseuds/wordsliketeeth
Summary: "He was an old dream born into something new. He was enigmatic and charismatic and now, all these months later, he's become a systematic habit on just this side of paradise. He's charming and fun-loving with a sense of humor capable of breaking the darkest of days into light. He's flirtatious and vivacious and even though his temper is always on the loose, he's always there for you." Aomine gets to spend the day at home and all you want to do is cuddle.





	Salty Sweet

Some people say that the past is strong enough to kill you if you're not careful.

You would have been a believer of that collusion if not for the unanticipated presence of a certain boy who would enter your life like a flash of light. His mere existence was enough to knock you sideways but when he smiled in your direction something went off inside your head and told you that life didn't have to be so hopeless. The radiance of his smile was like a blow to the head and the lightning he inadvertently injected into your veins, down to every milky bone and trembling vessel, was so electric you couldn't breathe for the shock of it.

He was an old dream born into something new. He was enigmatic and charismatic and now, all these months later, he's become a systematic habit on just this side of paradise. He's charming and fun-loving with a sense of humor capable of breaking the darkest of days into light. He's flirtatious and vivacious and even though his temper is always on the loose, he's always there for you.

You remember standing at a bus stop, a wistful Mona Lisa with a broken frame, cold and shivering beneath a blanket of empyrean tears. The day was young but the dreary gray of an overcast sky, bleak and colorless, was calling night home early bereft the promise of glistening stars and radiant moonlight. You were hanging by a thread, hard up and worn down by a string of bad luck. You were dressed in battle scars and at war with love, standing under a cloud of words hanging over your head, cruel and bitter and parasitic. You were cautious and taciturn but your heart was bleeding out across your wrist, and no matter how hard you tried to convince yourself otherwise, it was plain to see that you were wearing heartbreak like the cover of a magazine.

That's when Aomine came and struck you down like he had any right to. He didn't ask your name or how you were doing or why you were alone and standing in the rain. He simply shrugged himself out of his jacket and draped it over your shoulders in an unspoken gesture of chivalry. He smelled like expensive cologne and pine and peppermints, and as you boarded the bus with Aomine in tow, you realized that you didn't ever want to forget the amalgamation of scents associated with the boy with skin like mocha and eyes like the sea.

You talked as the bus frequented a collection of stops, the smell of diesel and exhaust heavy in the air along with the prevalence of something stale and slightly antiseptic. You talked over potholes and speed bumps and the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. You talked until the sky grew darker and the rain came harder and when you finally reached your stop, you invited Aomine into your home. You still don't know what convinced you to make the impulsive decision, even now, but considering the potential outcomes and dangerous possibilities of your judgment, or lack thereof, you still have no regrets for the choices you made then or what would later transpire.

If not for your plausible foolishness, you never would have been baptized in the fire of Aomine's kiss, and that's not something you can bear to think about.

* * *

The weather outside is unpleasant, to say the least, but the bitter cold and high winds were this morning's blessing in disguise because you have the entire day to spend alone with Aomine. Where the sheets would have long gone cold for the absence of his body, there's warmth and solidity. The TV is on low and there's an array of junk food spread out across the rumpled bedcovers in front of you. Aomine is bare-skinned save for a pair of boxers and you're in nothing but a pair of panties and one of Aomine's old T-shirts despite the frigid conditions outside.

There's coffee in the kitchen and breakfast in the fridge but you're as interested in leaving the comforts of your shared bed as you are in braving the winter storm. You curl up against Aomine, who is currently devouring a bag of caramel popcorn like it'll disappear when the clock strikes noon. You rest your temple against his shoulder but several sugar-coated kernels rain down on your head, forcing you to move and dust off your scalp.

“How can you be so good at making baskets but be so bad at getting food _into_ your mouth?” you tease, laughing when Aomine bounces a piece of popcorn off of your forehead.

“I'm not bad at getting food in my mouth. It's this popcorn. It's messy,” Aomine tells you, the attempted excuse falling apart and into a breath of laughter as soon as it leaves his mouth.

“Of course,” you drawl, and fail to hide the smile that tugs at the corners of your lips. “It wouldn't have _anything_ to do with the fact that you're trying to fit half of the bag into your mouth at once.”

Aomine opens his mouth to reply but at that moment, Nigou plants his paws at the end of the bed and barks as if he's warning Aomine not to speak.

“See, even the dog knows your excuses are bogus. Just like how you spilled chocolate ice cream on the sheets last week and tried to get me to believe that it was blood just so I would feel bad for you and not get mad.” You press your lips together in a thin line and stare at Aomine in a way that dares him to deny the truth.

Aomine lifts his shoulders in the barest of shrugs and stuffs another handful of popcorn into his aperture. “I'm sticking to my story,” he says, albeit muffled and almost unintelligible.

You shake your head and steal several kernels for yourself. Nigou barks for a second time and begins to tug at the blankets with his paws in a desperate call for attention. “I think he's trying to get his sitter's attention,” you tell Aomine, smiling when Nigou tries to discreetly steal a snack from the pile nearing the end of the bed.

“Oi! Quit that,” Aomine yells, but the sincerity in his tone is quickly superseded by laughter when Nigou growls playfully and issues an assortment of canine protests. Aomine throws a piece of popcorn over the edge of the mattress and Nigou hurriedly retrieves it as if it'll dissolve into the carpet if he doesn't.

“Don't give the dog sweets. Kuroko-kun will get mad at you,” you warn, and stretch yourself across the bed to grab a box of chocolates.

“Tetsu won't get mad if I only give him a little,” Aomine says, tossing another piece of popcorn into the air, this time for Nigou to catch. “'Sides, he won't be back for a few days yet.”

“Are you sure about that? He had to put Nigou on a diet because people wouldn't stop giving him treats for being so cute. Plus, dogs aren't even supposed to have sugar _or_ popcorn.” You pull apart the bow keeping the box of chocolates intact and work the cardboard lid free from the container's bottom. “Do you want a piece?” you ask Aomine, who's licking salty-sweet residue from his fingertips.

“Yeah. I've had enough of this.” He pushes the bag away from his lap and you can't help but laugh when you see into the polymer package.

“I can't fathom why since the bag is _empty,_ ” you needle and pick a piece of chocolate out of the box's center row. “Here. Eat this one.” You lift the dark sweet to Aomine's lips and he slants his gaze in your direction, his eyebrow arched as he takes the chocolate from your fingers.

“What?” you ask, unaware that you're smiling.

“You always give me the flavors you don't like,” Aomine answers, chewing the confection hastily and pulling a face indicative of his dislike for the candy. “That was horrible. What was it?”

You pick up the piece of paper that came with the variety box and match the key up to the neat rows of chocolates. “That was fruit and nut caramel. Was it really that bad?”

Aomine snatches a bottled sports drink off of his bedside table and cracks open the seal. “I'd rather have real nuts in my mouth. That's just wrong.” He presses the plastic to his lips and downs half of its contents before dragging the back of his hand across his mouth to wipe away the drink's lingering moisture.

“Okay, if you had to single out someone, whose nuts would you pick?” you ask him, carefully choosing from the various chocolates.

“There's something seriously wrong with you, girl. You have to know that,” Aomine says, shaking his head. “I think you need to consider some kind of mental help or something.” He leans over and plucks an oval-shaped candy from the box.

“You're not going to like that one,” you tell him absentmindedly, still roving over the choices in front of you.

“You're not either,” Aomine answers, and before you can parse his intention, he's shoving the candy into your mouth and clamping a hand over your lips.

You knit your brows together and groan incoherence against the palm of his hand as you reluctantly chew the artificial candy into bittersweet mush. You swallow and bite at Aomine's hand but he remains unfazed as he draws away laughing.

“You deserved that,” he claims and needlessly points in your direction. “That was nothing compared to the things you've tricked me into eating—like those sick fucking jelly beans.” Aomine grimaces and though you don't admit it aloud, you graciously agree with him.

“Okay, fine. Here,” you say and present Aomine with a square of plain chocolate. “You like this one.”

“I don't trust you now,” is Aomine's response, firm and accusatory.

“I'll take a bite first then,” you tell him and without pause, you bite into the pliable treat. “See, it's fine.”

Aomine casts you a look that spells skepticism but he's already taking your wrist in his hand and bringing the half-eaten chocolate to his lips. “You're gonna be sorry if you're tricking me again.” Then he closes his eyes and takes the sweet into his mouth to melt against his tongue.

“I told you.” You make to draw away but Aomine keeps a firm hold on your wrist until he's finished chewing. Your gaze flickers to his lips for only a moment, but when you look back up, his eyes are open and glazed with heat. He doesn't offer up any verbal response but instead, he takes your fingers into his mouth and sucks the stain of sugar and heat and salt from your skin.

You sit silent and still, your lips parted and your heart beating a little faster in your chest. Aomine's gaze is piercing and penetrating and you can't seem to find the will to look away even when your face begins to flush and heat blossoms across the contours of your cheeks. You feel like you've dived headfirst into the waters of his stare, breathless and fatigued and left to drown. You forget how to inhale and you begin to tremble as the current of Aomine's affections pull you into the undertow. The intimacy of his actions is innocent enough but there's something in the way that he's focusing on you that makes you feel vulnerable and stripped and open.

Aomine flicks his tongue out against the pads of your fingers as he slowly pulls away from his ministrations. “You might be good at pulling pranks but you'll never beat me when it comes to making you fall apart.” His voice is low, thick, and shot-through with honey. It sends a shiver down the entire length of your spine, a sensation that settles like tiny shocks in the bend of your toes. “I bet I could win you over with just the sound of my voice,” Aomine affirms, his mouth curving into a crooked smile that has heat settling in the low of your belly.

“Technically you did,” you tell him, recalling the first day you met. “I still don't know what came over me that day. You could have been a psycho killer for all I knew and I still invited you into my house.”

“To be fair, I knew just as little about you as you did me. But I knew when I purposely missed my stop that there was something about you that I didn't want to lose. Plus, you didn't seem too interested in giving up my coat and that was my favorite one.” Aomine smiles and tucks a section of hair behind your ear. “I'm glad I trusted my gut. Not only was the sex amazing but you're still here.”

You turn away from Aomine's impenetrable stare and smile, a wealth of titillating emotion catching in your chest. You giggle quietly and shake your head in lieu of a response, and Aomine's fitting a hand to the shape of your jaw to draw your attention back to his face. “I love you, ____. I wouldn't have believed our story if I didn't live it myself, the odds of something like this lasting are just too rare. But you're different, someone special. You've helped me through some of my darkest days. You helped me get my friends back, my _life_ back. Thank you.”

You note how easy it is to get lost in Aomine's eyes as tears begin to form along the lines of your lashes. Your heart aches in your chest but it's not for sorrow or sadness or concern but a profusion of happiness and gratitude and affection. “I love you too, Daiki. I don't think I'd be the same person I am today if it wasn't for you.”

“That's a good thing, right?” Aomine asks, hesitant and slightly uneasy.

You laugh and drape your arms around his neck to tug him into an affectionate hug. “Yes, you idiot. It's a good thing.”

You can feel Aomine's chest expand before a sigh of relief and the breath of it spill out across a bare patch of your skin. He lifts his arms and circles them around your back to hold you tight. You stay like that for a long while, wrapped in each other's embrace like no amount of evil in the world could tear you apart.

Then Nigou barks and you both jolt for the sudden sharpness of sound against the otherwise quiet backdrop of the room. Aomine laughs and plants a kiss on your forehead before slipping out of bed. A sound vibrates in the back of your throat that's reflective of your disapproval but Aomine flashes you a tilted smile and says: “Do you honestly think that I'm ready to live like a normal person who contributes to society? As soon as I'm done feeding the dog I'm getting my ass back into bed.” That being said, Aomine hurries out of the room with Nigou on his heels.

“Get more snacks!” you call after him, unable to erase the smile clinging to your lips.

“Get naked!” Aomine shouts back, his voice somehow louder than the clink and ping of dog food hitting metal.

You shake your head in an expression of your amusement and consider the fact that you just might be willing to spend the rest of your life with this man. The thought itself is fleeting but the weight of possibility sticks in you like the sugar on your teeth. Although the prospect isn't half as bad for your health, and as you dive under the covers when you hear Aomine's feet coming fast from down the hall, you think that the best kinds of sweetness are figurative anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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